Tennis Acumen

BRIAN BAKER Wins Savannah Challenger & Entry into Roland Garros

PETE ZIEBRON

2012 Roland Garros poster

Brian Baker won 8 matches in 8 days, including today's Final 6-4 6-3 against Frenchman Augustin Gensse to win the $50K Savannah Challenger.  The win is the second Challenger title of Baker's career, he improves to 28-7 in 2012 and most importantly, wins a wild card into the main draw of Roland Garros.

Through an arrangement with the French Tennis Federation, the USTA awards one men’s singles main draw wild card to the 2012 French Open. The wild card is awarded to the American player with the highest total of cumulative singles main draw ranking points from the ATP Challenger events in Sarasota and Savannah.

Last week, Baker advanced through qualifying and reached the 2nd round in Sarasota, losing a 3-set match to American Sam Querrey. Baker would secure his wild card ticket to Roland Garros yesterday with a semifinal victory over Blake Strode.  

In 2005, I saw Brian Baker play a 1st round qualifying match at the now defunct ATP Scottsdale, AZ tournament.  Baker was steamrolled by German Michael Kohlmann 6-0 6-3.  Later that year, Baker defeated 9th seed Gaston Gaudio in the 1st round of the US Open.  However, several injuries would start to take their toll and Brain Baker did not play professional tennis from November 2007 until July 2011.

Ironically, Baker would win his first tournament when he came back, a $10K Futures tournament played on clay in Pittsburgh last July.  In November, Baker won 7 consecutive matches, advancing through qualifying and getting all the way to the Final in the $50K Knoxville Challenger.  With this Finals appearance, Baker raised his ranking to #462 in the world.

In his second tournament of 2012, Baker would win the $10K Futures tournament in Westin, FL in January and collect $1,300 for the 5 matches he won.  Two months later, Baker would win another $10K Futures tournament in Costa Mesa, CA, collect $1,950 and raise his ranking to #337.

Last week in Sarasota, Baker advanced through qualifying of the $50K Challenger event and dropped a hard fought 3-set 2nd round match to fellow American and world #98 Sam Querrey.  With this result, Baker's ranking improved to #293.  Following today's Championship victory, Baker's ranking will be #214.

Coming into the Savannah Challenger, Brian Baker earned $8,295 for his results in the 9 tournaments he entered in 2012.  Simply by playing the 1st round at Roland Garros, he will earn 18,000 EURO.

 

 

DONALD YOUNG: Only the 3rd American Since 2004 to Play the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000

PETE ZIEBRON

Donald Young is the lone American in the 2012 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters field    Pete Ziebron Images

World #45 Donald Young has entered the Rolex Masters 1000 next week in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.  As a result of his participation, Young will become only the 3rd American to play this prestigious tournament since 2004.

Despite the fact that valuable ATP ranking points are at stake, the American contingent is nowhere to be seen in the Cote d'Azur each year in mid-April.  In 2008, Sam Querrey enjoyed success in Monte-Carlo, winning 3 matches and reaching the quarterfinals.  Querrey defeated former Roland Garros Champion Carlos Moya and 7th seed Richard Gasquet in the process.  However, Querry has not returned since.  The only other American to play Monte-Carlo since 2003 was Vince Spadea who lost his 1st round match in 2005. 

Americans playing the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters 1000 since 2004:

• 2004    zero
• 2005    Vince Spadea
• 2006    zero
• 2007    zero
• 2008    Sam Querrey
• 2009    zero
• 2010    zero
• 2011    zero
• 2012    Donald Young

With a 1st round loss this week in Casablanca, Morocco, Donald Young falls to 2-8 in 2012.  However Young's current ranking of #45 allows him direct entry into the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters field and he will hope to regain the form he enjoyed last autumn.

Ironically, fellow American, world #10 John Isner withdrew yesterday from the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.   Despite the fact that Isner was in Monte-Carlo as recently as Sunday for the Davis Cup quarterfinal against France, he elected to go back to America and play in the significantly smaller US Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston, a 250 level tournament.

Isner's decision to play a 250 tournament rather than a Masters 1000 is puzzling, especially since he was very impressed with everything about Monte-Carlo.  Upon arrival for the Davis Cup tie, Isner tweeted: "In Monte Carlo. This place is sick."  

John Isner is a Top Ten player now.  He may want to consider adopting Roger Federer's planning with respect to his future scheduling.  Federer likes to arrive at the tournament site early to get accustomed to the speed of the courts and the conditions and his preparation has served him well.

Not only was Isner already in Monte-Carlo, he defeated  world #13 Gilles Simon and  #6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Davis Cup action at the exact same site of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.  Rather than competing against the best in the world and properly preparing for Roland Garros by playing on European clay, John Isner chose to follow the trail blazed by so many other fellow Americans and simply decided to opt out of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

 

JOHN ISNER Continues to Slay the ATP's Best, Thrives on Davis Cup Competition & Seeks to Rise in Rankings

PETE ZIEBRON

World #10 John Isner   Pete Ziebron Images

Today, John Isner led the United States to the 2012 Davis Cup semifinals with a 4-set victory over world #6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.   The victory was Isner's 4th over Top 6 players since last November, including wins over #1 Novak Djokovic, #3 Roger Federer and #6 David Ferrer.

All of the impressive triumphs have taken place on grand stages.  The wins over Federer and Tsonga have come in Davis Cup play, on the road and on clay.  The victories over Djokovic and Fererer were in Masters 1000 events at Indian Wells and Paris respectively.

John Isner's recent WINS over the world Top 6:

• #6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga  Davis Cup @ FRA (APR '12)
• #1 Novak Djokovic        Indian Wells       (MAR'12)
• #3 Roger Federer         Davis Cup @ SUI (FEB '12)
• #5 David Ferrer            Paris                  (NOV '11)

In the last 13 months, John Isner has won 2 ATP tournaments (Newport & Winston-Salem) and raised his ranking from #33 to world #10.  More recently, he has emerged as a Davis Cup hero for the United States, helping lead the American squad to wins over Switzerland and France.

However, Isner has also had his share of inexplicable losses since last March.  Five times, Isner has lost a match to an opponent ranked #90 or lower, including losing to #126 ranked American Bobby Reynolds this January in Sydney.

John Isner's recent LOSSES to significantly lower ranked opponents:

• #126 Bobby Reynolds     Sydney 250         (JAN '12)
• #133 Vasek Pospisil        Valencia 500       (OCT '11)
• #90   Ricardo Mello         Belgrade 250      (APR '11)
• #174 Ivo Karlovic            Houston 250       (APR '11)
• #165 Paul Capdeville      Davis Cup @ CHI  (MAR '11)

John Isner started playing professional tennis in 2007, shortly after graduating from the University of Georgia.  In June 2007, he won an ATP Futures event, and played against 2 opponents ranked 1,000 and higher.  Two months later, Isner played world #1 Roger Federer in the 3rd round at the US Open and even won the first set in a tiebreaker over the eventual Champion.

In August 2010 in Cincinnati, Isner was ranked #19 and I asked him about the preperation he received from playing collegiate tennis for 4 years at Georgia:  

"Yeah, that's huge. It was really the only route for me, because when I was 18 coming out of high school, I wasn't nearly good enough to go pro. I mean, I was barely top 10 in the nation in juniors, and that's really not a level you want to be at if you wanting go pro.  So I knew college was the choice for me. I knew I was gonna be able to practice with players at my level and have the best coaching at my disposal for four years. Every year at Georgia I continued to get better. Finally got to the point where I knew that I had a big enough game and my game developed to where I could give pro tennis a shot. That's really the only reason that I'm here right now is University of Georgia."

Last year, Isner held a 2 sets to 1 lead in the 1st round at Roland Garros against eventual and 6-time Champion Rafael Nadal.  With very few points to defend until after Wimbledon, Isner will seek to continue to climb in the rankings.  

As a Top 10 player, Isner will hope to improve his showings at major tournaments.  He has a 22-16 limetime record and his best result at a major is a Quarterfinal appearance at the 2011US Open. 

John Isner's best showing at a major tournament:

• QF                 US Open                '11
• 4th round      Australian Open    '10
• 3rd round     Roland Garros        '10
• 2nd round     Wimbledon            '10 & '11

 

South America Gets 2nd WTA Tournament in 2013

PETE ZIEBRON

Argentine #2 Gisela Dulko      Pete Ziebron Images

Beginning in 2013, the WTA will return to Brazil for the first time in 11 years.  The tournament, which does not yet have a venue nor a date, will be the second WTA tournament on the South American continent, joining the Copa BBVA Colsanitas tournament played in Bogota, Colombia in February.

Since only 1 WTA event is hosted in South America, the top players tend to skip the event in Bogota.  In fact, the tournament's #1 seed in 2012 was world #56 Marina Erakovic of New Zealand.  The addition of Brazil next year on the WTA slate will help to build the anticipation for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero.

To date, the highest ranked South American on the WTA Tour is Paula Ormaechea of Argentina at #120.  Countrywoman Gisela Dulko, seeded at Grand Slams not too long ago, has slipped to #128 in the world in singles.

 The Top 5 South Americans on the WTA Tour are:

• #120 Paula Ormaecha             Argentina
• #128 Gisela Dulko                   Argentina
• #139 Marina Duque-Marino     Colombia
• #170 Florencia Molinero         Argentina
• #203 Veronica Cepede Royg    Paraguay

Argentine #3 Florencia Molinero       Pete Ziebron Images

The only South American woman to win a major title was Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina.  Gaby won the 1990 US Open, 27 singles titles, 2 WTA Year End Championships, reached a career high of world #3 and won the Silver Medal at the Seoul Summer Games in 1988.

Sixteen South Americans reside in the ATP Top 150.  However, the tennis year for these players must seem to be a very long road trip each and every year as only 2 ATP tournaments are held on the South American continent.  

Immediately following the Australian Open, the VTR Open in Vine del Mar, Chile takes place.  Following the opening round of Davis Cup action, the Brasil Open, the second and last ATP tournament of the year in South America is hosted by Sao Paulo.  

With the exception of hosting a Davis Cup tie, tennis fans in South America rarely get a live glimpse of the best players in the world as a result of the fact that the sport concludes play on the continent in mid-February each year.

Argentine #1 Juan Martin del Potro     Pete Ziebron Images

South Americans in the ATP Top 150

• #10  Juan Martin del Potro            Argentina
• #16  Juan Monaco                         Argentina
• #32  Juan Ignacio Chela                Argentina
• #37  Carlos Berlocq                       Argentina
• #45  Thomaz Bellucci                    Brazil
• #50  David Nalbandian                  Argentina
• #55  Santiago Giraldo                    Colombia
• #56  Alejandro Falla                      Colombia
• #73  Leonardo Mayer                     Argentina
• #102 Joao Souza                            Brazil
• #116 Rogerio Dutra Silva                Brazil
• #117 Horacio Zeballos                    Argentina
• #119 Paul Capdeville                     Chile
• #123 Diego Junquiera                    Argentina
• #131 Ricardo Mello                        Brazil
• #146 Frederico Delbonis                Argentina

Argentine #2 Juan Monaco      Pete Ziebron Images

The ATP held the inagural ATP Challenger Tour Finals last November in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  However, the website for the event is only available in Portuguese: 2011 ATP Challenger Finals

As of today, April 2, 2012, the ATP Challenger calendar only lists events until June 25, 2012, so it is not known if the 2012 ATP Challenger Tour Finals will be held, or where they may be contested.

Perhaps some day in the near future, the ATP World Tour Finals, as well as the WTA Championships can be held on the continent of South America.  The players as well as the passionate tennis fans in South America deserve to host these events.